Love Like Cherry Blossoms
by SxyMo0finMan
Summary: Assura is an adolescent wolf demon that get's seperated by her family and it left to fend for herself. She runs into a small group of three a Dog demon lord, an impish toad, and a young girl. SesshyxOC
1. An Odd Finding

Chapter One

An Odd Finding

**Summary:** _Assura__ is an adolescent wolf demon that get's separated from her family when they are ruthlessly slaughtered by __Naraku__. She is forced to live alone and fend for herself, which is different from her life before. She ends up finding a small group of two; a powerful Dog demon lord and an impish looking toad. Eventually, the Dog demon lord and __Assura's__ friendship begins to blossom. Will this lead to more? _**Sesshy**** x OC**

**Author's note:**_ In between chapters I'll sometimes switch in between __Assura's__ and __Sesshoumaru's__ lives. I'll do this until they meet and begin traveling together. You'll probably be able to tell when I've switched._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own __InuYasha_

_-----_

"Wait up, Asuma!" a soft voice called out through heavy breathing. The owner of the voice, a young female wolf demon, had been running for a short time but was already out of breath. She slowed down to a halt, her white tail curling around her legs. Placing a small hand to her heaving chest she looked up towards the sky. Through the high tree tops she could just make out the last rays of the burning sun. A few stars were already starting to dot the now darkening sky.

"Why'd you stop, Assura?" a male voice asked, breaking through the silence of the forest. Assura's golden-brown eyes glanced in her older brother's direction. He had just appeared from behind a large tree, walking in her direction."I can never keep up with you. You're way too fast!" Assura complained, staring at her bare feet."You're so bothersome.""Sorry," the young girl whispered, her chestnut hair falling in her face."Don't sweat it," Asuma said walking over to his younger sister. He placed a finger under her chin and gently made her look at him. He smiled at her softly. Assura returned the smile and hugged the older wolf demon quickly. He chuckled before prying her arms off his waist and walking back in the direction where he had come from.

"Come on. Father's probably worrying about us," Asuma said, and with that he took off. Assura groaned before running after her older brother, trying her best to keep up. She sighed as her brother slowly began to fade into the distance of the darkening forest. It was getting harder and harder to spot her brother's black hair and fur in the darkness. She suddenly stopped running when a burst of purple light shone throughout the whole forest. Turning her gaze heavenward she watched as purple rays of light began shooting out in all different directions, scattering all over Japan. Assura gasped when one of the purple rays of light fell through the forest canopy and shot into a nearby bush, causing the shrub to glow with a bright light. Slowly, the young wolf demon warily walked closer to the bush. As she inched closer to it the light slowly began to fade away, making the forest as dark as it was before the interesting light show. Assura reached out a hand into the small shrub and felt around, trying to find something that didn't belong in the small plant. Her hand grazed upon something sharp, pricking her finger.

"Ouch," she hissed as she pulled out her hand and stared at it, a small bead of crimson blood forming on her finger tip. Placing her finger to her lips she licked off the blood, before slowly reaching into the bush with her other hand and pulling out the sharp object. She held in between her thumb and index finger, holding it up into the moon light to examine it.

"Wow, it's beautiful," she muttered in awe as the moonlight reflected off the small crystal, causing the area around her to glow a soft purple. She adverted her attention away from the small crystal when she heard a twig snap off somewhere in the distance. A smile spread across her soft lips when her brother's figure came into view, not that far away from her."Look it, Asuma. Look it," Assura said excitedly as she held out her hand. Asuma quickly grabbed the small shard and held it up in the moon light, examining it. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he twirled the shard in between his fingers."What do you suppose it is?" Assura asked, looking over her brother's shoulder."Dunno. Maybe father knows," Asuma said with a sigh before running off towards the wolf den. He looked behind him and smiled when he noticed his sister was actually keeping up with him.

"Father! Father, where are you?!" Assura called out in the cave, her voice echoing off the slick walls. She stepped over small boulders as she made her way further into the cave, her brother following close behind her. The young wolf stopped when she came across one of her father's guards. She poked him in the chest, stopping him in his tracks."What do you want?" he asked looking down at the adolescent."Where's father? We need to show him something," Assura said."In the inner chamber," the guard answered before walking out towards the cave's entrance. Assura nodded before running down the long corridor towards the innermost chamber, Asuma was close behind."Father! Look at what I found," Assura called as she entered her father's chambers, not even bothering to knock. She held out the jewel to her father and waited for his opinion."This is a very nice find, Assura. It looks to be a shard of some kind of jewel," her father said examining it. He glared at Asuma when his oldest child snorted at his answer."We've figured out that much, sir," Asuma said glancing down at his feet."It's quite all right. Now off to your chambers. The both of you," the wise old wolf said to his children. They both nodded and walked out of the large room, towards their rooms.


	2. Quest For Tetsusaiga

Chapter Two

Quest for Tetsusaiga

**Author's Note: **_I need some reviews! If I don't get at least one I won't continue on with the chapters!_

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own __InuYasha_

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A demon lord stood on top of a high cliff, overlooking a vast forest. The large area of trees seemed to spread out for miles. He glanced at the crescent moon that hung in the night sky, a frown spreading across his lips as a cold wind came in from the south. It swayed through the top branches of the tallest trees. With it, came the scent of a wolf, greeting his keen nose. His golden brown eyes scanned the tops of the trees, until his vision was blocked by his own silver hair. His frown deepened into a scowl as he carefully pushed his hair back behind his broad shoulders. He sniffed the air again, a new scent flooding into his nostrils. This scent he recognized; it was of his annoying minion.

"You can come out from the bushes now," the demon lord said coldly, throwing a sideways glance at a small bush that had begun trembling.  
"Yes m'lord!" his minion squeaked as he clambered through the bush, carrying a staff twice his size. On top of the staff were two heads; one was of an old man and the other was of a young beauty. The incredibly short imp was almost completely out of the small shrub when the eyes of the old man's head began to glow red. The staff changed positions in his hands so that the old man was facing the east, an invisible force pulling the imp along in that direction.  
"Lord Sesshoumaru! Look, the old man is responding!" the imp cried out after catching his balance. He stared up at his lord, waiting for the powerful demon to make a move. He shuddered slightly when his lord turned towards him, sending him a glare. The imp winced, closing his eyes waiting for something to strike him.  
"What?" he asked opening his beady yellow eyes again to see Sesshoumaru wasn't there. He looked around frantically, not able to find the powerful demon.  
"Where are you m'lord?" he squeaked.  
"Jaken, come," Sesshoumaru said coldly, treating his minion like a dog.

The imp looked behind him to see his lord walking away. He nodded his head before turning around swiftly and following after his lord, nearly tripping over his own feet. He clambered after his master, keeping close behind the larger demon that was now beginning to walk down the side of the cliff. Another strong wind blew around them, whipping Sesshoumaru's long silver hair to and fro, along with the pelt that adorned his right shoulder. The pelt hit Jaken in the face, curling around his small body and tangling him up in it.  
"Get this damned thing off me," he said stopping to bat at the white fur, thus causing Sesshoumaru to slow down a bit because of the added weight on his shoulder. The powerful demon turned his head to look over his shoulder to see what the added weight was and scowled. He had hated it when the imp would put his grubby hands on his pelt, but now his minion was tangled in it. He curled his fingers around the pelt, digging his sharp nails into the white fur, before tugging on it. The force of his pull had unraveled Jaken and sent him flying backwards into a small boulder.  
"Don't ever touch my pelt again," Sesshoumaru said seething as he turned to glare at the semi-conscious Jaken. He made a move to advance on the small imp, but stopped when a purple light flashed through the sky.

Both of the demons turned their gazes heavenward, watching as tiny beams of purple scattered throughout Japan, lighting up the night sky."What do you suppose it is m'lord?" the imp asked, staring up in awe at the shiny beams. He turned sideways to look at his master, his mouth falling agape when he noticed Sesshoumaru walking away.  
"Come, those lights hold no interest in me," Sesshoumaru said coldly as he began walking down the slight decline of the cliff.  
"Coming m'lord!" the imp shouted as he followed after the larger demon. He knew what his master was interested in; continuing on with the quest for the Tetsusaiga.  
"Seeing yet never seen. Protected; yet not known to its protector," Sesshoumaru recited under his breath as he reached the bottom of the cliff. That one confusing saying was always on his mind. No matter how many times he said it, he couldn't figure out what it meant. He glanced behind him to see his minion watching his every move.  
"What direction are we to be traveling in?" Sesshoumaru asked, turning his gaze forward again.  
"To the east, m'lord. That is where the sword should be," Jaken said jogging to keep up with his master.

Sesshoumaru nodded his head slightly as he changed his direction. He sniffed the air, sifting through the many different scents to see if that wolf was still around. He narrowed his golden brown eyes when another scent flooded through his nostrils. 'So there are two of them,' he thought looking in the direction where the scents were. Jaken had noticed his master's motions. He too turned his head in the direction where Sesshoumaru was looking off in.  
"What's out there?" he asked turning his gaze back to Sesshoumaru.  
"Nothing of importance," his master said as he turned his gaze forward again. The imp narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. His master was definitely hiding something from him. He didn't press onto the matter though for fear of being killed. A sigh escaped his pursed lips as he softened his gaze. He couldn't be mad at his lord, after all Sesshoumaru was the one that had spared him and let him journey with him. Jaken nervously glanced in the direction where his lord had been starring off into.  
"Are you sure ther--"  
"Jaken, quiet!" Sesshoumaru said getting a little angry at his minion. Jaken immediately shut his mouth and nodded his head, a bead a sweat slipping down his forehead. The two demons continued on walking in silence.


	3. The Legend of the Shikon no Tama

Chapter Three

_The Legend of the Shikon no Tama_

**Author's Note: **_A lot of people have read my story, but still no reviews. I don't get that. Please review! I need to know if I should continue on with the story._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own InuYasha. _

* * *

Rays of light bled in through the small openings in the stone walls of Assura's room. She opened her golden-brown eyes and immediately shut them again once they had met the soft morning rays of light. She turned over, pulling the furs that served as her blankets over her head to block out the sunlight. A sound at her door caught her attention, causing her to sleepily raise her head and stare at the source. She groaned when she saw one of her father's servants.  
"Get dressed, miss. You're father wishes to see you," the female servant said as she walked into the room, stepping closer to the groggy wolf-demon's bed.

Assura sighed before standing up, the furs falling off her shoulders. She stepped out of the pool of furs and grabbed her normal outfit, a white skirt and shirt piece made mainly out of white wolf's fur. Before she slipped out of her night gown she motioned for her servant to turn the other way. Once her servant had turned around she slipped out of her night gown and pulled on her clothes. She smoothed out her skirt, feeling how soft it was.  
"I'm ready," she said turning to her servant. Her servant nodded before opening the door again and walking out, she motioned for the young wolf demon to follow. Assura sighed before walking after her. _'What could father possibly want?' _she thought as she followed her servant through the stone corridors. She stared at the flames that flickered in the torches that hung from the stone walls. The light in the room flickered every time the wind blew through the winding hallways. Assura shivered slightly as the two approached the entrance of her father's royal chambers. Assura sighed when her servant stopped to knock on the door. Before her servant could even rap her knuckles on the wooden door, Assura walked into the large room.

"Father, what is it that you want?" she asked stepping closer to her father's chair. He turned to his youngest child and smiled, before spotting the servant. With a simple flick of his wrist he signaled for the servant to leave.  
"Today you are to spend time Ryuunosuke Kadawa," her father said. He had known her distaste for his elite general, but that didn't matter. She was arranged to marry the young man when she came of age, and that was final. It had been her mother's dying wishes that her youngest would find peace and happiness, even if it wasn't her decision to begin with.  
"But, father! I don't want-"  
"You are arranged to marry him. You will spend tim-"  
"But I don't want too," Assura said, interrupting her father. Her father was a short tempered demon who no one ever wanted to mess with. They could say simply one wrong thing and he'd lash out. Even the smallest interruption could easily invoke his anger.  
"Do not interrupt me. You are to spend time with him. He is my elite general and your future husband," her father stated, trying not to lose his temper.  
"But I don't love him," Assura said stomping her foot.  
"You are trying my patience, Assura. You are to spend time with him. Meet him at the entrance of the cave, now," he said drawing the line.

Assura sighed before leaving her father's chambers and walking towards the mouth of the cave. She stepped out into the morning sun and breathed in the fresh air. She smiled as she slightly twirled around, her arms spread out wide so she could feel the wind against her. The southern wind whirled around her, picking up strands of her hair a whipping them about. She stopped when she heard someone chuckle from not so far away.  
"I didn't know you liked the outdoors so much," a male voice said startling her. She quickly turned to the source, frowning when she spotted Ryuunosuke standing there with an impish smirk on his lips.  
"I'm a wolf, it calls to me," she simply stated before walking down the trail to her favorite spot underneath a large weeping willow. She sighed once she heard his footsteps following after her.  
"Must you follow me?" she asked getting annoyed.  
"Your father wishes that we spend time together," Ryuunosuke said as he walked beside her. Assura frowned as she looked up at the older man. Her expression changed slightly when she saw how beautiful he looked in the morning glow. He had very striking features that she hadn't noticed before. He had a bronze complexion, surely from staying out in the sun on those long war campaigns against enemy lands. He had high cheek bones and a sharp pointed nose. His long dark hair was pulled back into a pony tail, a few strands of hair hung loosely in his face. Every time the wind blew, it sent those few stray hairs into a tizzy. Assura's lips parted in a silent 'o' as he turned to look at her, catching her gaze. The morning sun reflected off his dark blue eyes, causing them to sparkle and shine. A small smile spread across his thin lips, causing the young girl's heart to flutter. Assura quickly averted her gaze and hurried along the path to reach her destination.

Not too far ahead, stood a large willow tree. Its branches hung low, swinging in the slight breeze. The large tree was circled by smaller cherry trees, making the area look beautiful. As the wind blew, blossoms from the cherry tree fell from its branches and scattered across the area, covering the ground with pink petals.  
"It's always so pretty here," Assura said as she breathed in the aroma of the blossoms. Reaching out, she caught a few petals as they floated by her on the light breeze. She brought the petals to her nose and inhaled the sweet, sweet aroma.  
"This place's beauty does not match your own," Ryuunosuke said as he walked over to the weeping willow, parting the branches so he could walk under the tree's shade. The area underneath the tree was slightly secluded from everything else. He casually leaned against the large trunk and watched Assura.  
"You're not going to win over my heart by using sweet words Ryuunosuke," Assura said with a slight smile, walking underneath the trees branches to join him. She sat down and leaned against the trunk, picking at the grass that lay beside her. She sighed before looking up at Ryuunosuke to watch what the older wolf demon was doing.  
"I guess I need to try harder then," Ryuunosuke said with a slight smile. Assura quickly looked away; her heart was pounding in her chest. She inhaled sharply and looked at the pink flowers that twirled through the air. She scooted away as Ryuunosuke sat down beside her, a smirk adorned his lips. He could smell her nervousness and hear her beating heart.  
"I'm not going to harm you," Ryuunosuke said with a slight chuckle as he moved a bit closer.  
"It is odd for a twenty-something old wolf-demon to be hitting on a sixteen year old. I am basically just a pup," Assura defended, still not looking at the demon sitting next to her. She inhaled, catching his intoxicating scent.  
"Four year difference, big deal. Besides it is your father's wishes."  
"So if my father hadn't insisted on you marrying me, you wouldn't even bother? "Assura asked, turning to look at him. She couldn't help but feel a little hurt by his words.  
"That's not what I meant. I've been attracted to you for a while Assura, but I never had the chance to act on my feelings. When your father asked if I was interested in taking your hand in marriage, I jumped on the opportunity." Ryuunosuke said frowning slightly when she had doubted his intentions.

Ryuunosuke slowly stood up before walking from the shade of the willow and over to a nearby cherry tree. He gently plucked a small bud and a fully bloomed blossom. He brought the blossom up to his nose and inhaled its scent before walking back over to Assura, sitting down beside her once again. He grabbed onto her hand and held it palm up, before setting the bud in her open palm.  
"What is this for?" Assura asked, slightly confused. She wanted to just throw away the bud, but Ryuunosuke still was holding her hand.  
"This bud isn't the prettiest of things is it? But that is only because it hasn't matured yet. One day it will grow into a beautiful flower. This bud represents our love now," Ryuunosuke simply explained before placing the blossom in her hand.  
"This fully matured cherry blossom is one of the prettiest flowers that grow in this land. Well that, and the kikyous. It takes a long time for that bud to bloom into this beautiful flower. The blossom represents our love. Our love will one day blossom and grow into something beautiful. I am prepared to wait many years for you too finally return my feelings," he stated before closing her hand around the two flowers. Slowly he let go of her hand and looked out at the scenery, taking it all in. Assura uncurled her hand and picked up the blossom, tucking it behind her ear. She simply dropped the bud and looked out at the scenery as well. The wind blew around them, and with the wind came the scent of a dog demon. It was faint, but it was still there. Before Assura could ask about the smell, Ryuunosuke began to speak.  
"There have been sightings of a very powerful dog demon around these parts. He is said to be accompanied by an ugly looking imp. Many deaths, both human and demon, have been reported. We believe these murders have been caused by the dog. The strange thing is that none of the bodies have been found. It's as if they have disintegrated," he recited, still looking out into the distance. Assura nodded her head slightly before sighing. A silence engulfed the two, causing a feeling of unease to pass between them.

"On a lighter note, we've heard tales of the jewel you found. You want to hear them?" Ryuunosuke asked, the ghost of a smile creeping up on his face. He turned to look down at the young wolf, who nodded her head eagerly, wanting to hear anything pleasant. But, what she was about to hear was definitely nothing near pleasant.  
"The jewel you found is a fragment of the jewel of four souls, or the Shikon no Tama."  
"Four souls?" Assura asked, her brow creasing slightly.  
"Aramitama, courage; Nigimitama, friendship; Kushimitama, wisdom and Sakimitama, love. It is said that when united in one person, they form a balance within the soul and can be used for good or evil," he murmured, absently scrawling the characters for the words courage, friendship, wisdom, and love in the loose dirt with a small stick. He looked over to meet Assura's perplexed gaze and smiled slightly. His face grew more serious as he continued on with the tale.  
"According to legend, the Shikon no Tama burst from the chest of a powerful miko named Midoriko during the heat of a battle. She was facing many demons that had joined together and were anchored in the heart of an evil human who supposedly lusted for her. After seven days and seven nights of continuous battle she managed to seal the demon away, but lost her own life in the process. It is said that within the jewel, their souls are still fighting a battle of good and evil."  
"The jewel was passed on between many humans and demons, the battle within still raging on. If a person held the jewel with evil intentions in their hearts, the jewel became tainted black. But, if they had pure intentions, the jewel would continue to glow a soft pink. The jewel was eventually placed in the care of a wise demon exterminator. He then entrusted the Shikon no Tama in the hands of a miko who had exceptional purifying powers. She was able to protect the jewel for many years until she met her untimely demise."  
"What happened to her?" Assura asked in a soft, quiet voice. She didn't know if she wanted to hear the answer, but if she didn't she would simply suffer from the intense curiosity. She thought this tale would be happy, but it was twisted with deceit and death.  
"She wasted the last of her strength by sealing a half demon to a tree, damning him to an eternal rest. The jewel was burned along with her body," Ryuunosuke said, pausing slightly for dramatic effect.  
"Then how did I find a shard of the jewel?" Assura asked in a hushed whisper.  
"I was getting to that part," Ryuunosuke said, a smile spreading across his lips. His expression turned grave once again. "It was rediscovered by the reincarnation of the young miko. This strange woman has also awakened the half demon from his slumber and his now accompanied by him. They are the ones who broke the jewel," he murmured, drawing the tale to an end. He looked slowly over at Assura, wondering what her reaction to this would be. A far off look was in her golden brown eyes as she thought about the story.

Without warning she rose to her feet and walked out from underneath the willow's shade. The sun soaked through her clothes and warmed her skin, but did not dispel the feeling of dread that clouded her mind. Would this path of death and betrayal lead to her pack? She shook her head, her chestnut hair swaying in the slight breeze, as she tried to rid her mind of the horrible thoughts.  
"I didn't mean to upset you with the tale," Ryuunosuke said as he joined her, wrapping an arm around her and drawing her into his chest.  
"I'm fine," she lied as she took in his scent, her pulse coursing faster through her veins.  
"Come; let us go back to the den. We've been out for some time now," he muttered with a smile before leading her away to the wolf's den.


End file.
